From China to Russia Aboard the Tsar's Gold

Starting in Beijing, where the remnants of Imperial China sit shoulder-to-shoulder with thriving businesses and five star hotels, roll along a railway that ties together two of the world’s biggest countries, China and Russia. Traverse Mongolia from the Gobi Desert across the endless steppe, where Genghis Khan’s armies once galloped, to the modern capital, Ulaanbaatar. Continue up to the steep shores of ancient Lake Baikal, and on to the gleaming golden cupolas of Moscow.

Admire the 20-ton gilded statue of “the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction”

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Spend some time at the Gandan Monastery, originally founded in 1838; the temple houses a 20-ton gilded statue of "the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction," created in the 1990s to replace the one destroyed by the Soviets in 1937.

Our rail journeys by private train are in a class of their own, allowing travelers to experience remote destinations in style and comfort – particularly enjoyable on such lengthy and legendary routes as the Trans-Siberian and the Silk Route. Group sizes are flexible and can be more than 100 passengers.

Itinerary & Highlights at a Glance

Days 1-3: Beijing (China)

Explore the classic sites of Beijing, including the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, where 14 Ming and 10 Qing emperors ruled China. Travel outside the city to visit the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. Enjoy a special dinner of Peking Duck before boarding the Chinese charter train for the one-night ride to the Mongolian border.

Highlights

Days 4-6: Gobi Desert, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

Transfer to the Tsar’s Gold private train at the Mongolian border, continuing through the great Gobi Desert and on to the open steppe of Mongolia. Spend a night at a hotel in Ulaanbaatar, discover the imposing Gandan Monastery, and attend a performance of Mongolian throat-singing. A picnic lunch in a rural ger is followed by a display of Mongolian horsemanship and Mongolian-style wrestling.

Highlights

Ulaanbaatar, capital and most important city in Mongolia

Gandan Monastery, with the 20-ton gilded statue of “the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction”

Days 7-9: Ulan Ude (Russia), Lake Baikal, Irkutsk

Reboard the train and continue into Russia. Spend some time in Ulan Ude, founded in 1666 by Cossacks as a winter encampment on the Selenga River. Take a short boat ride on UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest lake on Earth, and skirt its shore on the old Circumbaikal Railway, the original line used by the Trans-Siberian Railway before the present-day route was completed. Transfer to a hotel for a night in Irkutsk, and get to know this important Siberian way station for expeditions and exiles. Wander the open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture, a collection of authentic Russian and native Buryat, Evenki and Tafalar houses and community buildings dating from the 17th to the early 20th century.

Highlights

Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic, with the world’s largest Lenin head

Circumbaikal Railway, the most scenic stretch of the original Trans-Siberian Railway

Days 10-13: Aboard train, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Kazan

In Novosibirsk, travelers are met with a traditional Russian bread and salt welcome, and regaled with balalaika music. In Ekaterinburg, visit the Church on the Blood, built on the spot where the tsar and his family were killed in 1918. A tour of Kazan includes its UNESCO-listed kremlin, originally a fortress of the Golden Horde.

Highlights

Traditional Russian vodka tasting aboard the train

Bread and salt welcome in Novosibirsk

Visit to Ekaterinburg’s Church on the Blood, where Nicholas II and his family perished

Days 14-15: Moscow

Transfer to a centrally located hotel and begin an exploration of Moscow, including a tour of the dignified Kremlin. An after-dinner walk through Red Square and a descent into some of the city’s opulent subway stations bring this epic journey to an end.

Highlights

Moscow’s 870-year-old Kremlin and Red Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Our rail journeys by private train are in a class of their own, allowing travelers to experience remote destinations in style and comfort – particularly enjoyable on such lengthy and legendary routes as the Trans-Siberian and the Silk Route. Group sizes are flexible and can be more than 100 passengers.

Our rail journeys by private train are in a class of their own, allowing travelers to experience remote destinations in style and comfort – particularly enjoyable on such lengthy and legendary routes as the Trans-Siberian and the Silk Route. Group sizes are flexible and can be more than 100 passengers.

Prepare for Your Trip

International Airfare

MIR's in-house, full-service air department will gladly assist with your air travel needs.

Travel Insurance

Stay a Little Longer…

MIR can arrange for an extended program in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Eastern or Central Europe before or after your tour. Consider visiting Shanghai, China, or St. Petersburg, Russia. All of MIR’s destinations are open to you, and all can be attached to this program. Please contact MIR for more details about exciting options for extended travel.

Is this Trip Right for You?

This trip is moderately active, and rated moderate to rigorous touring due to the daily walking involved and the overall shortcomings of the tourism infrastructure. To reap the full rewards of this adventure, travelers must be able to walk at least a mile a day, keeping up with fellow travelers.

A full list of details about the rigors of this tour are explained in the Detailed Descriptive Itinerary.

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Tsar's Gold

The perfect combination of remote destinations and comfortable accommodations, rail journeys by private train open a world of discovery to travelers who enjoy comfort and leisure time as well as exciting new vistas.

Exclusive private trains furnish the dream of Old World rail travel with modern comforts and amenities that make the journey as pleasant as the destinations. The simple and comfortableTsar’s Gold offers a restful and satisfying way to experience a legendary rail route.

Train & Hotel Accommodations

Relax and enjoy the panorama rolling past your private window and disembark for guided off-train touring in fascinating towns and cities along the way. Each car on the Tsar’s Gold has its own attendants who provide bed turndown service. Attendants keep an eye on everything while guests are away from the train.

Towels are provided for all, and guests traveling in Nostalgic Comfort, Bolshoi and Bolshoi Platinum are also provided with bathrobes and slippers.

Six styles of accommodation are available aboard the Tsar’s Gold for the journey between Erlian and Moscow:

Bolshoi Platinum Class (en suite)

Bolshoi Class (en suite)

Nostalgic Comfort Class (shower for every two cabins)

Superior Plus(shared facilities)

Superior (shared facilities)

Classic (shared facilities)

On the approximately 16-hour overnight journey between Beijing and Erlian (Chinese / Mongolian border where the rail gauge changes), guests travel aboard a chartered Chinese train with only one style of accommodation.*

Bolshoi Platinum Class

Bolshoi Platinum Class cabins are the most comfortable option available on the Tsar’s Gold private train. Each cabin is outfitted with a shower, WC and washbasin. Cabins are equipped with an upper and a lower berth and a window-table.

Bolshoi Class

Bolshoi Class cabins feature the same modern en suite amenities as Bolshoi Platinum, but in a smaller space. Bolshoi Class cabins are smaller than Bolshoi Platinum cabins but still have en suite facilities, though with a smaller shower area.

Nostalgic Comfort Class

Nostalgic Comfort Class cabins are aboard new cars retrofitted with furnishings reminiscent of the special sleeping cars used by Communist Party leaders in the 1950s. Cabins include convertible upper and lower berths, a comfortable armchair and storage space above the door. A small, basic hand-held shower is shared between each two compartments and a WC is found at each end of the car.

Superior Plus Class

All Superior Plus Class cabins offer comfortable accommodation with twin-berth compartments featuring two lower berths. Beds convert to comfortable sofas for daytime travel and there is storage space under the berths and above the door in each cabin.

A WC is found at each end of the car in all cases, and every other car has a shower compartment at one end.

Superior Class

Superior Class cabins offer comfortable accommodation with twin-berth compartments featuring two lower berths. Beds convert to comfortable sofas for daytime travel and there is storage space under the berths and above the door in each cabin. A WC is found at each end of the car in all cases, and every other car has a shower compartment at one end.

Classic Class

Classic Class beds convert to comfortable sofas for daytime travel and there is storage space under the berths and above the door in each cabin. A WC is found at each end of the car in all cases, and every other car has a shower compartment at one end.

*One night aboard a Chinese Train

For the approximately 16-hour overnight journey between Beijing and Erlian (Chinese/Mongolian border where the rail gauge changes), guests travel aboard a chartered Chinese train. All cabins are similar to the Standard Class category and accommodate two passengers.

There are no Bolshoi, Bolshoi Platinum or Nostalgic Comfort type cabins on the Chinese train. The number of cabins available for single occupancy is limited; therefore single occupancy for travelers booked in Standard Class or Nostalgic Comfort Class is not guaranteed for this overnight travel segment.

Hotel Accommodations

Five or six nights of the tour (depending on which direction you are traveling) are spent in hotels — two or three in Beijing, one in Ulaanbaatar, one in Irkutsk and one in Moscow.

In Beijing and Moscow, Bolshoi Platinum and Bolshoi Class passengers are accommodated in upgraded rooms, with standard rooms booked for Nostalgic Comfort and Standard Class guests.

Please note that the hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Irkutsk are moderate — basic but comfortable. Additional nights before and after the tour can be arranged on request.

Life Aboard the Train

The Tsar’s Gold private train provides everything you need for a pleasurable journey. Join travelers from around the world to enjoy the relaxed and casual environment onboard, with no need to wear formal attire on excursions or while dining.

The Tsar’s Gold train is a comfortable, though not luxurious, private train, which can accommodate up to 200 passengers. Train formations are not fixed, as the composition varies to suit the number of passengers on a given departure. The exact configuration of train on any particular journey may not be determined until close to departure.

Please note that a variety of cabins styles are in use aboard the train. Decor and layout of dining, bar and sleeping cars on your journey may differ from the sample images depicted in our brochures/websites.

Dining Cars

Dining Cars featuring Russian and European cuisine operate as lounges after dinner. Water, tea and coffee are included with your meals. A selection of soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits is available for purchase.

Off-Train Tours

Rail journeys feature an extensive line-up of educational city tours at the various stops on our routes. Private coaches and local guides whisk you away from your private train for fascinating half- or full-day forays into the principal towns and cities, sometimes including an in-city dining opportunity. Read through this tour’s itinerary for more information (found on the Itinerary & Map tab of this page).

Have a Question?

Send us your question below and we will get back to you soon. We can also be reached by phone 8:30am-5:30pm Pacific time, Monday-Friday toll free at 800-424-7289.

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Traveler Reviews

“This is trip of a lifetime and more than just a train journey. This is also a chance to see a phenomenal cross-section of Russia (and Mongolia) in a relatively short time. Great camaraderie and interaction with the passengers.”- A. Mowatt Jr. - New York, NY